Sokar...I loved your video...thank you so much for taking the time to do it so wonderfuly.

__________________
"To the Horsehead Nebula and back we shall make beautiful music"..."Together!"

The stories of childhood leave an indelible impression,and their author always has a niche in the temple of memory from which the image is never cut out to be thrown on the rubbish heap of things that are outgrown and outlived........Howard Pyle

Hans... your article is a lovely masterpiece, it says so clearly all that she accomplished with her life, her writings, as well as personally with all those that have read and enjoyed her stories...over and over again.
You did her proud my friend...

__________________
"To the Horsehead Nebula and back we shall make beautiful music"..."Together!"

The stories of childhood leave an indelible impression,and their author always has a niche in the temple of memory from which the image is never cut out to be thrown on the rubbish heap of things that are outgrown and outlived........Howard Pyle

I did email her when I found both her email address and the old Kitchen Table web address in one of her books. I got a wonderful, personal reply. I never got the chance to meet her in person, but that one email spoke highly of her character.

"I'll miss her" says so little, doesn't it.

__________________All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain.

So sad. I have had the flu and off the internet for a while and the news of Anne's passing was one of the first things I saw when I logged on blastr.com. I immediately came here to confirm it. I will always have her books to remember her by.

Oh, glad someone sent a video. I will have to watch it. I received the following report from Eileen Gormley, a former court reporter I met at one of Annie's parties while I was there.
I am certain she orchestrated much of it in advance as it sounds just like her sort of bash.
It was a lovely funeral, or as lovely as a funeral can be in the circumstances.

The service was in Collier's Funeral home in Bray. Alec and Todd met
people as they went in, and you could go into a room where Anne was
lying in an open coffin. She looked very like herself, perhaps a bit
thinner.

The service was in a big white and cream room with a huge skylight,
and cream seats, so everything was very light. Naturally, all the
seats were filled and there were crowds standing around the walls.
Anne's coffin was wheeled in, and Celine Byrne sang "How Great Thou
Art". Jim Carson, a small grey-haired minister with a bit of a
Northern Irish accent, conducted the service which was very informal.

Alec got up and talked about his mother, and how the real warmth of
Dragonhold wasn't in the fireplaces, it was in Anne's heart. Richard
Woods from Chicago described himself as "were chaplin to Dragonhold"
and talked about Anne's cup overflowing (with good Chardonney) and her
donations to charity, and the stick she got for not having religion in
the Pern books. He said that when she met God, she would be having
words with him about the poor quality of his staff. Celine sang "It's
a Wonderful World" and "Morning has broken". Gigi told me later that
Anne had picked out all the music, including the Academic Overture at
the end.

Then we headed for the graveyard at Kidquade, and got lost on the way.
How would you know if a man had Alzeimheimers? They all seem to ignore
directions. Anyway, we got there. It was very windy, but bright and
dry. The service at the grave was simple and informal, no incense or
rosary or anything.

Then we went to the Graduate for lunch. I met another Annie there, who
said she had beads for you. There was an amazing big screen slide show
of photos on Anne's life, from when she was a young girl on. There
were pictures of her with her babies, getting awards, with Issac
Asimov, riding, swimming with dolphins, mother of the bride, mother of
the groom, eating breakfast. There was one of you with dark hair. It
was almost hypnotic, everytime you watched, you saw photos you hadn't
seen before.

Gigi said they were thinking about having some sort of memorial in a
few months, perhaps with internet streaming, so that people who can't
come in person can still join in.

I posted some of the pix I had of Annie when she won the Grand Master Award at the Nebs in Chicago (I see several other shots in the video from that event), and at her induction into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. They're on my FB page in an album. Seems like I can't give a direct link to a page in FB but if any of you are on there you can look.

Thank you for sharing this with us, it means so much to know that the send off was just as Anne had planned.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eann

I received the following report from Eileen Gormley, a former court reporter I met at one of Annie's parties while I was there.
I am certain she orchestrated much of it in advance as it sounds just like her sort of bash.
It was a lovely funeral, or as lovely as a funeral can be in the circumstances.
.

Thank you for sharing this with us Eann. And thank you to everyone who over the last few days have left beautiful, poignent tributes to Anne - each in their own special way.

Hans, would you believe that I had found your article before you had posted it here? I must have read it 3 or 4 times without even realising who had written it. To say it made me cry would be an understatement.

And to Sara, Cavatica, Sokar, Ghyle and everyone else who shared their tributes - thank you too. They have inspired me to want to leave my own tribute for Anne, but alas, I am not an artist, nor author, poet or musician. I cannot find the words to express myself.

I have chosen instead to let my most beloved singer/songwriter speak for me. Like Anne, Tori Amos has had a massive influence in my life. These two women have stirred my heart, made me laugh and cry, and I turn now to Tori's beautiful 'harpering' to express my grief for Anne.

The song I would like to share with you all is called "Carry". It was released on Tori's new album, 'Night of Hunters' a few months ago. Amazingly, this album (a Celtic song cycle) is set and filmed entirely in Ireland.

I was wondering if it would be appropriate to compile all these tributes to Anne, and perhaps also a simple "comments" section as well and share it with Anne's family? I am sure they know she had many fans, but to see it in print could make it more concrete? Just a thought.

__________________What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.
All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller

That is a nice thought.
I have promised Gigi that I will send all the condolances left in my pern.nl website's guestbook to her later, via mail.
It would be easy to include the messages in this thread and the related threads in the Exhibit Forum.
I could also send the same mail to Todd. I don't have a current mailadres for Alec but I am sure that, if we ask, one of the other children would forward the mail to him.

If, and I am not sure about this, I would be attending the memorial service held next year in Ireland, I could also take a printout with me.

@Sam, that's a very beautiful song.

__________________Hans, also known as Elrhan, Master Archivist

Visit The Pern Museum & Archives for all your Pern and Anne McCaffrey News and Resources!
The Pern Museum & Archives is the home of the Pern Encyclopedia and the Pern Bloodlines.

I think there is a majority of members that are members of multiple sites,and I know some tributes have been cross posted. Be kind of a shame not to include them all. Especially if you're willing to be our ambassador.

Here's a thought. Possibly a "tributes" thread at those sites (here as well?), that could be forwarded to Hans (if he's not a member of the site) and then he wouldn't have to go hunt things up? Thanking you in advance, Hans!

__________________What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.
All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.
Helen Keller

No,I was mainly thinking AMCF. I know Bronze Dragonrider had posted a picture (He's Spaceman Spiff here) and Dragongirl has one in the art forum titled She Gave Us Wings. Besides the sticky in the lounge. I'd be happy to check over there to see if anyone had something else in a different forum for you. Let me know,I know your time is limited.. and I have too much .

Here's a thought. Possibly a "tributes" thread at those sites (here as well?), that could be forwarded to Hans (if he's not a member of the site) and then he wouldn't have to go hunt things up? Thanking you in advance, Hans!

As I was sitting here reading all the other posts about the first Anne book people have read it reminded me of my first encounter with her..

I was a lonely 1st Airman stationed in San Antonio Texas far from home for the first time.. not alot of money.. but a "need" to read ~smile~ I went into a used book store just walking around.. I saw this book with an orangish cover.. a girl on the back of a dragon.. 'dive bombing' down to earth.. ~smile~ I picked it up.. The Title was "Moreta's Ride". It was in my price range ($2.00) and i figured it would distract me for a while at least ~smile~

That book opened my eyes to a new world.. one that i have been in since 1982.. one that has helped me through rough times in my life.. Through Moreta i was introduced to the WORLDS of Anne McCaffrey..

I remember many times waiting for the next book to come out.. when asked what i wanted as gifts.. "Anne McCaffrey books" was the only thing I would say ~smile~

I can't count the number of times i've reread every one of her books.. and each time it's like visiting an old friend.. and yet.. each time i find a new nuance to the story.. I believe it's because every time I read them I'm at a different stage in my life.. and the stories seem to 'speak' to that stage..

She will be greatly missed by all her fans.. and yet I believe that in the years to come she will gather more fans into her worlds.

I have just had an email from Todd informing me of Anne's passing.
So sad to hear the news. She goes with the love of all her followers.
My sincerest condolences to her family and friends.

Golden Links

Within my tears I see a light
Within my heart I know it’s right
That when my tears have washed away
The pain that rends my soul
Then I shall see with clearer sight
The Golden Links of Love
That never can be broken.

Oh my, I did not know - I just came back to this forum searching for the thread with dragon names, which I cannot find, and then I learn that Anne has passed between.

With tears in my eyes I am happy to remember Anne and her books, and I am happy that I did get to meet Anne, and that Hans took a book of our greetings to Anne's birthday and that she saw our appreciation.

It is hard to do Anne justice when there are no words when getting this for me unexpected news.

__________________Nina

The Rowan is my favourite!

"The name rowan is believed to derive from the Norse runa - "a charm". It was often planted outside houses to ward off witches. On May Day a spray of rowan leaves was hung over doors to repel evil, and wells dressed with rowan to keep witches away. The rowan, or mountain ash, is found commonly in Scotland, sometimes clinging to a rock face."

I've come late to his thread but not because I was unaware of Anne's death. It's been difficult to put down in words what I've been feeling these last weeks. Here's my small effort.

Anne - thank you for the 30 wonderful years I've spent reading your books and getting lost in your worlds. Thank you for being the reason I've made and met many like-minded people from all corners of the world who have become, I hope, good friends. Have a great time at that party upstairs - the one which all the good people are so eager to get to.